Punjabi poetry that is a blend of old and new dictionon January 11, 2019Poetry book Asaan Dil Nu Murshad Jaan Laya in Punjabi by Abrar Nadeem starts with his couplet “Warehan Da Jagrata Ki Aei, Sahnu Puch Aklaapa Ki Aei” (Ask me about lying awake for years with accompanied loneliness). From this couplet one can infer that new poetry has found its way out from within traditional poetry. […]
‘Sirf Tumhare Liye’ — poetry subservient to the dream worldon December 31, 2018Equating poetry with love with some conditions is the thesis forwarded by Dr Hassan Farooqi in his poetry book ‘Sirf Tumhare Liye’ (just for you).He contends that both love and poetry are not done by design. They just happen. This is one of the similarities between the two. One cannot put a stop to either […]
Mujeeb Alam — a singer with a soft voiceon December 29, 2018In the embryonic days (mid 1960s to end 1960s) of Pakistan Television Corporation (PTV), its Lahore Center was located at the hinder side of Radio Pakistan Building where presently Sales Section of Radio Pakistan is housed. There was not enough space for administration after making a recording hall and engineering panel. There was need to […]
Ustad Akhtar Khan — classical singer, a qawwal and a Naat khwaanon December 25, 2018It was a cold Saturday morning when I received phone calls from fellow artists Ghulam Abbas and Mudassar Malik saying that Akhtar had died. He died like my mother used to pray that she would be taken to the Almighty without any long ailment that would cause problems for the sick person and the ones […]
Bipin-Babul, music composers with Madan Mohan’s aroma in their compositionson December 3, 2018I was playing the song ‘Jab Chaye Kabhi Sawen Ki Ghata Ro Ro Kei Na Karna Yaad Mujhe’ from Indian film ‘Reshmi Roomaal’ in the voice of Talat Mahmud, a colleague sitting in the Pakistan Music Center observed that listening to it reminded him of the good old days when such songs were heard on […]
Radio Pakistan says goodbye to compares, announcers above 60on December 3, 2018As a child artist I have been associated with Radio Pakistan, Lahore since 1956. My association continued as an adult approved voice of Radio Pakistan. I have been promoting melody music on Radio Pakistan’s programme ‘Hamare Mausiqar’ since five years now broadcasted live every Thursday from 11:05 p.m. to 12 midnight on channels; FM93Megahertz and […]
All Pakistan Music Conference Festival 2018 held in Lahoreon November 16, 2018In this day of nearly all television channels concentrating on political debates, little time is devoted to creating and presenting music and even Pakistan Television Channel (PTV) is neglecting its heritage of producing weekly music programmes (like in 70s and 80s), holding of annual festival by All Pakistan Music Conference (APMC) in Open Air Theater, […]
‘Tasteer Kitabi Silsila 5’ — latest trends in all domains of Urdu literatureon November 7, 2018Buying 700 pages of latest literature in eight hundred rupees is not a bad deal as far as literary content is concerned but still it is a price not affordable by te common man. While going through these pages, I keep on wondering as to how such voluminous edition appears regularly as it is not […]
‘Saheb’ — a close link between the Maker and supplicanton October 23, 2018In the book titled ‘Saheb’ Hassan Abbasi chooses to address his Lord as ‘Saheb’. He is in love with ‘Saheb’ and this love is enhanced with each day passing. Thus, his poetry becomes a journey of his soul. In order to express this novel love he travels to the wilderness. The morning breeze, the afternoon’s […]
‘Arxang’ — a combination of literature and graphicson October 13, 2018Title: Arxang – October 2018 Editor in Chief: Amir Bin Ali Editor: Hassan Abbasi Publishers: Ravi Foundation International, Lahore Pages: 48 Price: Rs. 1000/- annually With Arts and Graphics on art paper by Muhammad Ahsan Gul, monthly literary journal ‘Arxang’ enters its nineteenth year of publication through its October 2018 issue. Its Editor in Chief […]